Chapter 6
Ayame stared at her reflection in the mirror. What had just transpired? She could still feel the feather-light brush of Sakon's lips on hers as if it had just happened and her entire body screamed out for her to find him and complete what they had started.
She sat shakily on the bed. Why now? Why this man? She had been in contact with men ever since she started her military training at the tender age of fourteen - eight years ago - and not once had she ever felt the urge to take a man to her bed - not even when her friends were having different lovers every night.
She was nicknamed 'Icicle' in her early years and what was meant to be a mocking name, eventually turned into a label of respect and affection. The men treated her like a little sister at times and were very protective of her. The other women in the army were also kind to her, as they knew that she would never compete with them for the affections of the men.
Her musings were cut short by a knock on the door. She calmed herself and called, "Come in," assuming that it was one of the girls.
She inhaled in surprise when she saw Sakon. "What are you doing here?"
"I brought you some food. You need to eat Ayame," he chided softly. "You've been out for two days."
She sighed. "I know. It's just that the sight of the food is making me sick."
He grinned. "Oh come on! My cooking's not THAT bad!"
She giggled and he pushed the tray across to her. "It's natural to feel that way after you haven't eaten for so long. Just eat slowly and take what you can, okay?"
She nodded and spooned some of the soup in her mouth. It was delicious and she drank half of the bowl, before she pushed it away. He smiled at her.
"Was that so bad?" he asked.
She shook her head and he took the dish from her and replaced it on the tray. He placed the tray on the bedside table and handed her a glass of juice. As she drank it, she winced.
"What is it?" he questioned, concern in his eyes.
"Headache," she replied. "I guess I plaited my hair too tightly."
"Let me," he offered, turning her around. She was about to protest, but the feel of his strong fingers tangling in her hair, robbed her of breath. She was disgusted with herself for sitting like a simpering ass, similar to those girls she had laughed at when she was younger.
He unwound her braid and proceeded to comb his fingers through the silky strands. Just when Ayame felt as if she couldn't take anymore, she felt the touch of his mouth on her neck.
Her breath rushed out of her and her pulse began to race. His mouth was hot and as he trailed wet kisses along her neck, she felt her legs go weak. She fought the urge to give herself wholly to him and instead pulled out of his embrace.
"I think you should leave," she said in a shaky voice.
She saw the anger as it blazed in his eyes. He banked the fires and nodded, exiting the room.
She panicked then. Knowing that if she stayed here much longer, she would lose all control, she decided to get out. She had duties to her country and she could not waste her time on anyone - especially not a devilishly handsome, auburn haired man...not even if his eyes made her want to throw propriety to the wind.
She stripped off her borrowed clothes and went to the closet where her blue dress hung, freshly laundered. She slipped on the garment and pulled on her boots. Then, she went for her weapons. Strapping on the disc and her sword, she made her way to the window where she studied her escape avenues.
She saw a large tree about ten feet away from the house and her brow furrowed. Normally she would have had no trouble in making the jump but in her weakened state, it would be a close thing.
Nevertheless, she readied herself and ran across the room, launching herself out of the window. She landed cleanly on a branch of the tree and shimmied down.
While she was congratulating herself on the graceful exit, she happened to glance up. What she saw froze her in her tracks. Sakon was staring down at her, admiration and fury on his handsome face. She decided to get going before he made up his mind whether to applaud her or strangle her and broke into a run.
She didn't know where the stables were, so she headed to the woods behind the house. She calculated that she would be able to circle the house until she came to the stables. Crouching in the shadows, she formulated her escape plan.
*******************************************
Sakon could not believe what he had just seen. The damned girl had practically flown out of the window and at first he was terrified that she was lying at the foot of the house, bleeding and broken.
As he rushed to the window and peered down, he saw her jumping lithely to the floor. Damn, she's fast, he thought with pride. Then, anger reared its head. I'm going to kill her.
He had come back in her room to apologize - something that he seemed to be doing a little too often these days. For one horrible second, he thought that he had driven her to commit suicide....
When he saw that she was okay, he decided that he was going to wring her neck. Instead of disturbing the rest of the house, he ran back in his room, grabbed his sword, and exited the same way that Ayame had. When he found her, she had better pray.....hard.
Ayame stared at her reflection in the mirror. What had just transpired? She could still feel the feather-light brush of Sakon's lips on hers as if it had just happened and her entire body screamed out for her to find him and complete what they had started.
She sat shakily on the bed. Why now? Why this man? She had been in contact with men ever since she started her military training at the tender age of fourteen - eight years ago - and not once had she ever felt the urge to take a man to her bed - not even when her friends were having different lovers every night.
She was nicknamed 'Icicle' in her early years and what was meant to be a mocking name, eventually turned into a label of respect and affection. The men treated her like a little sister at times and were very protective of her. The other women in the army were also kind to her, as they knew that she would never compete with them for the affections of the men.
Her musings were cut short by a knock on the door. She calmed herself and called, "Come in," assuming that it was one of the girls.
She inhaled in surprise when she saw Sakon. "What are you doing here?"
"I brought you some food. You need to eat Ayame," he chided softly. "You've been out for two days."
She sighed. "I know. It's just that the sight of the food is making me sick."
He grinned. "Oh come on! My cooking's not THAT bad!"
She giggled and he pushed the tray across to her. "It's natural to feel that way after you haven't eaten for so long. Just eat slowly and take what you can, okay?"
She nodded and spooned some of the soup in her mouth. It was delicious and she drank half of the bowl, before she pushed it away. He smiled at her.
"Was that so bad?" he asked.
She shook her head and he took the dish from her and replaced it on the tray. He placed the tray on the bedside table and handed her a glass of juice. As she drank it, she winced.
"What is it?" he questioned, concern in his eyes.
"Headache," she replied. "I guess I plaited my hair too tightly."
"Let me," he offered, turning her around. She was about to protest, but the feel of his strong fingers tangling in her hair, robbed her of breath. She was disgusted with herself for sitting like a simpering ass, similar to those girls she had laughed at when she was younger.
He unwound her braid and proceeded to comb his fingers through the silky strands. Just when Ayame felt as if she couldn't take anymore, she felt the touch of his mouth on her neck.
Her breath rushed out of her and her pulse began to race. His mouth was hot and as he trailed wet kisses along her neck, she felt her legs go weak. She fought the urge to give herself wholly to him and instead pulled out of his embrace.
"I think you should leave," she said in a shaky voice.
She saw the anger as it blazed in his eyes. He banked the fires and nodded, exiting the room.
She panicked then. Knowing that if she stayed here much longer, she would lose all control, she decided to get out. She had duties to her country and she could not waste her time on anyone - especially not a devilishly handsome, auburn haired man...not even if his eyes made her want to throw propriety to the wind.
She stripped off her borrowed clothes and went to the closet where her blue dress hung, freshly laundered. She slipped on the garment and pulled on her boots. Then, she went for her weapons. Strapping on the disc and her sword, she made her way to the window where she studied her escape avenues.
She saw a large tree about ten feet away from the house and her brow furrowed. Normally she would have had no trouble in making the jump but in her weakened state, it would be a close thing.
Nevertheless, she readied herself and ran across the room, launching herself out of the window. She landed cleanly on a branch of the tree and shimmied down.
While she was congratulating herself on the graceful exit, she happened to glance up. What she saw froze her in her tracks. Sakon was staring down at her, admiration and fury on his handsome face. She decided to get going before he made up his mind whether to applaud her or strangle her and broke into a run.
She didn't know where the stables were, so she headed to the woods behind the house. She calculated that she would be able to circle the house until she came to the stables. Crouching in the shadows, she formulated her escape plan.
*******************************************
Sakon could not believe what he had just seen. The damned girl had practically flown out of the window and at first he was terrified that she was lying at the foot of the house, bleeding and broken.
As he rushed to the window and peered down, he saw her jumping lithely to the floor. Damn, she's fast, he thought with pride. Then, anger reared its head. I'm going to kill her.
He had come back in her room to apologize - something that he seemed to be doing a little too often these days. For one horrible second, he thought that he had driven her to commit suicide....
When he saw that she was okay, he decided that he was going to wring her neck. Instead of disturbing the rest of the house, he ran back in his room, grabbed his sword, and exited the same way that Ayame had. When he found her, she had better pray.....hard.